'The Haze of Notes': Mapping the influence of Ravel's Miroirs on Carl Vine's Second Piano Sonata

Abstract

In 2010, in an interview between the composer and Hyekyung Yoon, Carl Vine revealed that Ravel’s Miroirs was an important source of influence on his Second Piano Sonata. However, no further insightful study followed. Vine described ‘the haze of notes’ from Ravel’s Miroirs as the quality that appealed to him. In this thesis, I will set up a reading of the issue of ‘haze’ by borrowing the understanding of the expression from the visual domain. I will map how Vine’s term can be seen to impact on certain musical parameters, then conduct a musical analysis of the aspects of both pieces that contribute to this impression, such as the treatment of rhythmic groupings, meter relationships, tempo changes and textural changes. I have also conducted a semi-structured interview with Carl Vine, which offers new information about how Ravel’s influences operate in his compositions and how he views Sonata No. 2 in relation to his outputs for piano.